The invention relates to the field of continuous electrical distribution systems whereby an electrical outlet can be positioned at any one of a number of locations along a wall.
In conventional residential and commercial construction, outlets for electricity and telephone lines are installed in the walls of a room at fixed, spaced locations around the room. When changes are made in the location of the apparatus using these outlets, it is often necessary to change the location of the outlet, which involves installing a new outlet in the wall, repairing the drywall and repainting at the previous location. This is particularly time-consuming and expensive in the commercial office situation where moves are relatively frequent.
Various systems have been designed to provide a conductive track along which a receptacle may be moved. One of the primary considerations in such a design is that the conductive elements must be guarded against accidental contact by a child or user. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,812,956 issued July 7, 1931 to Howk discloses an electrical outlet comprising an elongated housing having a lengthwise slot and a conductor extending along the length of the housing. An electrical receptacle rides along the slot by means of rollers which contact the conductor. The receptacle is not provided with a ground connection as is required in modern electrical systems, and in order to change the position of the receptacle it is necessary to roll it completely around the track from one location to the other. This may cause unnecessary complications where there are a number of receptacles along a track and only one needs to be moved to another location. Further, apparently the Howk receptacle cannot be rigidly secured at the selected location.
Another movable electrical receptacle is disclosed in Kelley U.S. Pat. No. 2,042,105 issued May 26, 1936. Here various means are used to guard the conductors, including a zipper arrangement, a pair of overlapping ribbons and a recessed rib. The same disadvantage noted for the Howk design also apply to these designs.
Other electrical systems permitting the movement of receptacles are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,076,558; 2,279,383; 2,319,375; 2,617,849: 2,669,632: 3,089,042. These various designs all require the sliding of the receptacle along the track to reach the desired position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,687 issued Oct. 30, 1984 to Electrak International Limited discloses an electrical distribution system in which a specially designed plug may be inserted in any one of a number of apertures along a continuous conductor. However it does not allow for the use of conventional plugs U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,474 issued Sept. 1, 1987 discloses a safety wall plug in which the plug is slid from the peripheral edge of the wall outlet to the inner edge of a passage in the wall outlet. It does not permit the movement of the position of the electrical outlet.
There is therefore a need for a continuous electrical distribution system which allows a receptacle to be installed at any location along a track, without requiring that the receptacle be slid from one location to another along the track, and without exposing the conductors to the possibility of contact by a user.